Self-aligning pulley, gear or other rotational member

ABSTRACT

An improved alignable pulley or sheave assembly includes: (a) a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface which has a portion that is spherically shaped, (b) a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening with an interior surface that is configured so as to allow the pulley to be mounted on shaft&#39;s spherical shaped portion, and (c) a means for locking the shaft and pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling the pulley to tilt from side to side with respect to a plane that lies perpendicular to the shaft&#39;s rotational axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to pulleys, gears and other rotational members and the means for attaching them to their shafts so that they have the ability to move and align themselves when the driving force that is applied to the rotational member's perimeter is not always in the same direction. For example, when this force is not always directed exactly perpendicular to the shaft's rotational axis.

2. Description of the Related Art

In assorted machines or mechanical drive systems where cables are operated over pulleys, sheaves or other rotational members, it has always been difficult to align and mount these members so as to insure a continuing, perfect alignment between the cable and the rotating member. Even slight misalignment can yield cable chafing on the rotational member and result in undue wear at the affected contact points of such systems and the creation of undesirable noise in the use of such systems.

This situation often results in the system having to be shut down while realignment is attempted or replacement parts are installed. Additionally, it can increase the danger of cable failure which could have dire consequences for those that work in the vicinity of such systems or depend on the reliability of their operation.

In addition to such maintenance and safety considerations, these systems also suffer from the limitation of having very little flexibility is the manner in which such systems can be designed. Because of the need for the precise alignment of the components of such systems (i.e., a pulley, gear, etc. must be mounted at right angles to the shaft on which it is mounted, and the plane defined by a belt, chain, cable, etc. running on the perimeter of such a member must coincide with the plane of the member), the positioning of these elements can often require more space for mounting than is ideal, especially if one is trying to minimize the space consumed by such systems.

Various alignable pulleys and the means for mounting standard pulleys so as to make them self-aligning have been suggested. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,279,887, 2,421,685 and 6,811,506.

Despite this prior art, further improvements appear to be needed as there still exist many type of mechanical equipment (e.g., power mowers) that utilize such systems and which experience greater than acceptable amounts of downtime to maintain and repair such systems.

3. Objects and Advantages

There has been summarized above, rather broadly, the prior art that is related to the present invention in order that the context of the present invention may be better understood and appreciated. In this regard, it is instructive to also consider the objects and advantages of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-aligning pulley or sheave assembly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for mounting a pulley or sheave on its shaft that will enable such rotational members to continually realign themselves as necessary to compensate for changes in the direction of the forces that are being applied to their perimeters.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-aligning pulley or sheave assembly that will allow for the dynamic positioning of such a member on its drive shaft.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-aligning pulley or sheave that will allow for such a member to reposition itself on its drive shaft so as to always stay in proper alignment.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved self-aligning pulley or sheave assembly that is ideally suited for use in both manual and power mower applications.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for significantly reducing the downtime necessary to maintain and repair mechanical equipment that utilizes cable and pulley/sheave systems.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an alignable pulley or sheave that is reliable and simple and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent as the invention is better understood by reference to the accompanying summary, drawings and the detailed description that follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Recognizing the need for the development of improved alignable pulleys and sheaves, the present invention is generally directed to satisfying the needs set forth above and overcoming the disadvantages identified with prior art devices and methods.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved alignable pulley or sheave assembly includes: (a)a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface which has a portion that is spherically shaped, (b) a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening with an interior surface that is configured so as to allow the pulley to be mounted on shaft's spherical shaped portion, and (c) a means for locking the shaft and pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling the pulley to tilt from side to side with respect to a plane that lies perpendicular to the shaft's rotational axis.

In a first embodiment this locking means includes a planar groove in the shaft's spherical shaped portion, and a member that attaches to the pulley and whose distal end extends into the grove so as to restrict the movement of the pulley so that it and its shaft rotate together while allowing only for the tilting of the pulley.

In a second embodiment this locking means includes a push bar having two ends which rigidly attached to the shaft on the pulley's opposite sides. The central section of this bar is oriented parallel to the shafts axis and at a prescribed radial distance therefrom, and configured so that it passes through an off-center opening in the pulley and engages with this opening so as to cause the pulley and shaft to rotate together while allowing for the pulley's tilting.

In a third embodiment this assembly can further include a pair of stops, one of each being attached to the shaft on the opposite sides of the shaft's spherical shaped portion. The facing sides of these stops are configured so as to restrict the tilt of the pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.

In another embodiment, this self-aligning pulley assembly includes: (a) a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface that has a segment with a groove that extends for a prescribed length, parallel to the shaft's axis, (a) a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening which has an interior surface configured so as to allow the pulley to be mounted on the shaft's exterior surface, and (c) a means for locking the shaft and pulley such that they rotate together while also enabling the pulley to move axially on the shaft for a distance that is proportional to the groove's length.

Thus, there has been summarized above, rather broadly, the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims to this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view and FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The self-aligning and self-positioning pulley assembly 2 shown in these figures is constructed in such a manner that it allows a pulley 4 to move axially so as to realign itself on its shaft 6 when there is misalignment and the plane which defines the forces exerted by a cable 8 on the pulley's perimeter 10 is not exactly perpendicular the shaft's centerline 12.

The shaft 6 in this assembly 2 is seen to have a rotational axis or centerline and an outer circumferential surface 14 which is not circular in cross-section. It 14 has two segments on opposite sides of the surface, with each having a groove 16 a, 16 b that extends parallel to the shaft's centerline or axis. Rotated approximately ninety degrees on either sides of these grooves 16 a, 16 b are two additional sections that are characterized by having flat (although any non-circular shaped would suffice) portions 16 c, 16 d. These serve to prevent the pulley 4 from rotating on the shaft 6.

The pulley 4 in this assembly 2 is seen to consist of inner 18 and outer 20 members. The outer 20 pulley member has a perimeter 10 that is configured for contact with the cable 8 that wraps around it. This member 20 also has a central opening 22 that is configured to mate and lock with the perimeter 24 of the inner pulley member 18.

The inner pulley member 18 has a central opening 26 which has an interior surface 28 that is generally configured so as to allow it to attach to the shaft 6. This interior surface 28 includes flat portions 30 c, 30 d that mate with the shaft's flat portions 16 c, 16 d. These portions also include cavities 30 a, 30 b that serve to provide a means for mounting a rolling member, bearing or other means 32 a, 32 b for promoting relative axial motion between the pulley and the shaft.

On the portions of the inner pulley member interior surface 28 that are adjacent to the shaft's grooves are radial bores 34 a, 34 b that extend from this member's interior surface 28 to its perimeter 24. Each of these two bores serve to provide for the insertion into these bores of the proximate end of a pin 36 a, 36 b that is used to mount in the shaft's respective grooves an additional rolling member, bearing or other means 32 c, 32 d that is further used for promoting relative axial motion between the pulley and the shaft. Such additional bores 34 c, 34 d and pins 36 c, 36 d may also be used to aid in mounting the axial motion promoting means 32 a, 32 b that are used adjacent the shaft's flat portions 16 c, 16 d.

As shown in FIG. 1, after the assembly of all these various parts of the inner pulley member, it and the outer member are fixed together. Many well-known means exist for tying such members together and any of these means may be used in the present invention.

The pulley of this assembly can be seen to have the ability to axially realign itself on its shaft so as to realignment itself in response to changes in the direction at which the cable that acts upon the outer pulley member's perimeter.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show, respectively, a perspective and an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The self-aligning pulley assembly 40 shown in these figures is constructed in such a manner that it allows a pulley 42 to lean right or left, at an angle ψ, on its shaft 44 when there is misalignment and the plane which defines the forces exerted by a cable 46 on the pulley's perimeter 48 is not perpendicular (i.e., ψ=0 degrees) to the shaft's centerline 50.

This assembly's shaft 44 is generally cylindrical except for a portion 52 which has an exterior surface 54 that is essentially sphere-shaped and on which the pulley is mounted. This portion has a planar groove 56 on its perimeter 58 whose interior surface 60 aligns with the shaft's centerline in the sense that a plane passing through this centerline can be oriented such that when it passes through the groove the plane's intersection points with the groove will form two complementary and continuous arc sections that lie on opposite sides of the shaft's centerline. This groove 56 is used to mount on opposite sides of the sphere two rolling members, bearings or other means 62 a, 62 b which serve to lock the pulley 42 and shaft 44 together such that they always rotate together even as the pulley 42 is allowed to tilt right or left with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the shaft's centerline 50.

These members 62 a, 62 b are radially mounted on the pulley's centerline by constructing the pulley such that one 64 of its faces has along a diameter two radial slots 66 a, 66 b which are configured so as to mount these members such that their distal ends 68 a, 68 b can be extended down into the shaft's sphere-like portion's groove 56. A disc 70 with a central opening and appropriate locking devices 72 are used to hold the members 62 a, 62 b in these slots.

The pulley has a central opening 74 that is configured to accommodate the pulley's mounting on the shaft's spherical portion 52. A closer look at a cross-sectional view of this opening 74 would reveal that its interior surface 76 has a radius of curvature that is only slightly larger than that of the spherical portion 52. Thus, as the pulley tilts right or left, this opening's interior surface 76 is always in close proximity to the spherical portion's exterior surface 54.

For those applications in which only a certain maximum angle of tilt, ψ_(max), can be tolerated, one can mount stops on either side of the shaft's spherical portion and configure these stops such that their facing sides are tilted with respect to the shaft's axis at this maximum allowable tilt, ψ_(max).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show, respectively, a perspective and an exploded view of a third preferred embodiment of a self-aligning pulley assembly 80 which is also constructed in such a manner that it allows a pulley 82 to lean right or left, at an angle ψ, on its shaft 84 when there is misalignment and the plane which defines the forces exerted by a cable 86 on the pulley's perimeter 88 is not perpendicular (i.e., ψ=0 degrees) to the shaft's centerline 90.

This embodiment is similar to that shown in FIGS. 3-4, but uses a different means for locking the pulley and shaft so that they rotate together. This assembly's shaft 84 is generally cylindrical except for a portion 92 which has an exterior surface 94 that is essentially sphere-shaped and on which the pulley is mounted.

The pulley has a central opening 96 that is configured to accommodate the pulley's mounting on the shaft's spherical portion 92. This opening's interior surface 98 has a radius of curvature that is only slightly larger than that of the spherical portion 92. Thus, as the pulley tilts right or left, this opening's interior surface 98 continues to be in close proximity to the spherical portion's exterior surface 94. Various means (bearings, rollers, etc.) may be added to this interior surface to promote the smooth, binding-free motion between the pulley and the shaft's spherical portion on which it is mounted. When using such means, it is often found to be useful to use some type of guards 99 a, 99 b which are located at the edges of this opening 96 so as to prevent dirt and other foreign material from hindering the smooth relative motion between these parts.

The pulley and its shaft are made to rotate together by two push bars 100 a, 100 b that are rigidly mounted so that each of them lies parallel to the shaft's centerline and on its opposite sides at a specified radial distance from this centerline. The bars are held in these positions by connecting their ends to two disc 102 a, 102 b which are rigidly mounted on the shaft 84 and at an equidistance from the edges of the shaft's spherical portion 92.

The pulley has two openings 104 a, 104 b which are located so as to allow the bars 100 a, 100 b to pass thru the pulley 82. The interior surfaces 106 a, 106 b of these opening are especially configured with appropriate angles of curvature so as to not allow the pulley to tilt so much as to allow the pulley to come in contact with the adjoining faces 108 a, 108 b of the bar-mounting discs 102 a, 102 b.

Also illustrated in this embodiment is an example of the use of the previously mentioned stops 110 a, 110 b which are mounted on either side of the shaft's spherical portion 92 and configured such that a portion 112 a, 112 b of their facing sides 114 a, 114 b are tilted with respect to the shaft's axis at a maximum allowable tilt angle, ψ_(max)

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and because of the wide extent of the teachings disclosed herein, the foregoing disclosure should not be considered to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents of the present disclosure may be resorted to and still considered to fall within the scope of the invention as hereinafter set forth in the claims. 

1. A self-aligning pulley assembly, said assembly comprising: a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface, said shaft exterior surface having a portion that is spherically shaped, a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening, said opening having an interior surface configured so as to allow said pulley to be mounted on said shaft portion having said spherical shaped exterior surface, and a means for locking said shaft and said pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling said pulley to tilt from side to side with respect to a plane that lies perpendicular to said shaft rotational axis.
 2. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said means including: a herein defined planar groove in said shaft's spherical shaped portion that is oriented such that said groove aligns with said shaft rotational axis, and a member having a distal and a proximate end, said proximate end attached to said pulley at a point that lies above said groove and said member distal end extending into said grove so as to restrict the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the tilting of said pulley.
 3. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said means including: a push bar having two ends and a central section, said ends rigidly attached to said shaft on opposite sides of said pulley, and bar configured so that said central section is oriented parallel to said shaft axis and at a prescribed radial distance therefrom, and said pulley further having a bar opening with an interior surface that is configured and oriented so as to allow said bar central section to pass through said pulley bar opening and engage with said bar so as to cause said pulley and shaft to rotate together while allowing for the tilting of said pulley.
 4. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 5. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 2, further comprising: a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 6. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 3, further comprising: a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 7. A self-aligning pulley assembly, said assembly comprising: a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface, said surface having a segment with a groove that extends parallel to said axis, said groove having an interior surface and a prescribed length, a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening, said opening having an interior surface configured so as to allow said pulley to be mounted on said shaft exterior surface, and a means for locking said shaft and said pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling said pulley to move axially on said shaft for a distance that is proportional to said groove length.
 8. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said means including: a member having a distal and a proximate end, said proximate end attached to said pulley central opening at a point proximate where a portion of said groove passes through said opening, said distal end extending into said groove and configured so as to restrict the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft.
 9. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein: said shaft exterior surface further having a non-circular portion whose shape is uniform over said groove length, said pulley central opening interior portion having a portion configured so as to match with said shaft non-circular portion while restricting the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft.
 10. The self-aligning pulley assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein: said shaft exterior surface further having a non-circular portion whose shape is uniform over said groove length, said pulley central opening interior portion having a portion configured so as to match with said shaft non-circular portion while restricting the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft.
 11. A method for forming a self-aligning pulley assembly, said method comprising the steps of: forming a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface, said shaft exterior surface having a portion that is spherically shaped, forming a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening, said opening having an interior surface configured so as to allow said pulley to be mounted on said shaft portion having said spherical shaped exterior surface, and forming a means for locking said shaft and said pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling said pulley to tilt from side to side with respect to a plane that lies perpendicular to said shaft rotational axis.
 12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said means including: a herein defined planar groove in said shaft's spherical shaped portion that is oriented such that said groove aligns with said shaft rotational axis, and a member having a distal and a proximate end, said proximate end attached to said pulley at a point that lies above said groove and said member distal end extending into said grove so as to restrict the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the tilting of said pulley.
 13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said means including: a push bar having two ends and a central section, said ends rigidly attached to said shaft on opposite sides of said pulley, and bar configured so that said central section is oriented parallel to said shaft axis and at a prescribed radial distance therefrom, and said pulley further having a bar opening with an interior surface that is configured and oriented so as to allow said bar central section to pass through said pulley bar opening and engage with said bar so as to cause said pulley and shaft to rotate together while allowing for the tilting of said pulley.
 14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of: forming a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 15. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of: forming a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of: forming a pair of stops, one of each attached to said shaft on the opposite sides of said shaft spherical shaped portion, said stops having facing sides, each of which has a portion that is configured so as to restrict the tilt of said pulley to be less than a prescribed maximum tilt angle.
 17. A method of forming a self-aligning pulley assembly, said method comprising the steps of: forming a shaft having a rotational axis and an exterior surface, said surface having a segment with a groove that extends parallel to said axis, said groove having an interior surface and a prescribed length, forming a pulley having a perimeter and a central opening, said opening having an interior surface configured so as to allow said pulley to be mounted on said shaft exterior surface, and forming a means for locking said shaft and said pulley together such that they rotate together while also enabling said pulley to move axially on said shaft for a distance that is proportional to said groove length.
 18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said means including: a member having a distal and a proximate end, said proximate end attached to said pulley central opening at a point proximate where a portion of said groove passes through said opening, said distal end extending into said groove and configured so as to restrict the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft.
 19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein: said shaft exterior surface further having a non-circular portion whose shape is uniform over said groove length, said pulley central opening interior portion having a portion configured so as to match with said shaft non-circular portion while restricting the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft.
 20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein: said shaft exterior surface further having a non-circular portion whose shape is uniform over said groove length, said pulley central opening interior portion having a portion configured so as to match with said shaft non-circular portion while restricting the movement of said pulley so that said pulley and said shaft rotate together while allowing for the axial motion of said pulley on said shaft. 